It all started with a little dinner in the West Village I don’t even remember who I was having dinner with but I remember seeing that one item that piqued my interest. The crustacean that was market priced and came on a roll with a side of shoestring fries and coleslaw. Yes, the humble lobster roll at Pearl oyster bar which was impeccable but not humbly priced at $25. After the economy took a downturn in ‘08 I remember seeing a surge of street food in general everywhere in NYC and even saw lobster rolls at the Brooklyn Flea market at the Red Hook lobster stand. Lobster rolls as street food for $12-$15?? CRAZY! This might’ve been a norm in the New England area but I think for NYC this was a new trend taking off. As 5 start restaurants were shuttering their doors everywhere in the city these midrange priced food spots were taking off.

So with that preface… here is one of the better lobster roll spots in the city: Luke’s Lobster.

The owner who was laid off during the recession started this spot with connections to the Lobster market in the Northeast and hence was able to bring down lobster at cheaper than normal prices to bring your Luke’s lobster rolls. Currently two spots, one in the East village and one in UES very much a quick bite standish kind of place. Although you could do a $40 meal for two mega-feast. For $15/roll, They give you big chunks of lobster with a bit of mayo and spices for a little extra flavor. The roll is buttery soft and doesn’t get in the way of the lobster and very much there as a supporting cast.

It’s really perfect for a quick lunch and I always associate lobster roll with the summer so great for weekend summer lunch.

Next stop in my lobster roll journey is this guy (underground lobster pound)…